Frequently asked questions

What is the Watercooler?

The Watercooler is the easiest way to give feedback and get answers on WeRelate. It is pretty much just a generic wiki page, on which anyone can post questions, ideas, problems, complaints, or anything else relevant to the WeRelate community. WeRelate administrators and other conscientious members of the community respond promptly to Watercooler posts, and the questions and answers are open and available for anyone to read and learn from. The first time you edit the Watercooler, it will be added to your watchlist (unless you select not to add it), so you will be notified when someone edits the page to add a new comment or reply to an existing comment. Keeping an eye on the Watercooler helps you learn from others' questions and answers. Click here to visit the Watercooler.

How do I start a new discussion topic on the Watercooler?

Click "Add topic" at the top left of the page. Then give your comment a topic and type your message in the text box. Click "Save page" when you are finished.

You may also click on "Edit" and enter your comments at the bottom of the page. Make sure to introduce them with a descriptive heading, with two equals signs (=) on each side. Sign your username, save the page, and wait for a response. Unless you uncheck the Watch this page box, you will be notified via e-mail when someone replies to your comment or edits the page in some other way. It's not like a typical online message board, where threads and replies are separated. Think of it more as a community-wide, delayed chat room.

How do I respond to a comment left on the Watercooler?

Find the comment on the page and click on "add comment" to the right of the heading. Then add your response in the text box and click "Save page" at the bottom of the page.

Another option is to click on "Edit" and scroll down to the comment to which you wish to reply. At the bottom of the comment, beneath the person's signature, "enter" two rows down and type a colon (:) at the beginning of the line to indent your comments, indicating a reply. Reply to the comment, add your signature, and save the page.

How do I find old Watercooler posts?

If the page is old enough to have been removed from the Watercooler front page, check the archives. Links to the archives appear near the top of the Watercooler page. Some newer posts might be missing, because a discussion was redirected to a more appropriate talk page. Usually, there will be an announcement of this on the Watercooler with a link to the new talk page.